Ask Massively: Switchover edition
If there's one thing I learned from last week's Ask Massively, it's that our opinions are all wrong! Except Jef's. Even so, we're back this week to answer two more burning questions from the minds of our readers. Ironically enough, they both have to do with free-to-play, clarifying the switchover for Lord of the Rings Online and EverQuest II Extended.
Follow along below for our answers to these questions, and if you'd like your inquiries resolved on a future installment of Ask Massively, send it along to ask@massively.com or leave it as a comment to this post.
Derick asks: I created a trial for LotRO a little while back. When the game goes free-to-play, will I be able to use that old account information to log in? If so, will the character I created still be there or will I have to start over?
Take solace in the fact that your current account info and character info will all stay intact when Lord of the Rings Online goes free-to-play. This includes anyone who previously subscribed, bought the game but never subscribed, and even those who played on a free trial account. I recommend checking out the official FAQ and this comprehensive chart for more info on exact details with the switch to F2P.
Derick asks: I've read that the free-to-play version of Everquest II is going to start on August 17th and that characters created in this beta will be preserved through the official launch of the game. Is this going to be an open beta that anyone can join, or a closed beta with invites?
The closed beta for EverQuest II Extended is considered completely different from the normal subscription-based EverQuest II game. That's the important bit to get out first. But since this can easily become confusing, I contacted SOE regarding this topic to make sure the correct answer is given. See how much I love you?
August 17th will be the open beta launch date for the EverQuest II Extended service, but the final release date hasn't been announced yet. I highly recommend making your way through SOE's own FAQ regarding the new service as well as this membership matrix, which will help you differentiate the content that will be available for the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum memberships.
